Tractor-hitch.



F. A. RYTHER.

TRACTOR. HITCH- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31 I916.

1,275,761. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT E.

matrix a. nYrHEIt, orcHIcAeo, rumors. ASSIGNOR 'ro INTERNATIONAL mavama COMPANY or NEW JERSEY, A COBPOBATIOIN OF NEW JERSEY.

TRACTOR-HITCH. r

Applicatioafiledqanuary 31,1916. seii ina'rsgzoa l To all whom it may mm.- y

Be it known that I, FRANK A. R'XTHER, a; citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county. of "Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tractor- Hitches, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact specification.

My invention relates to tractor hitches.

It has among its objects to provide an improved hitch especially adapted to use in connection with headers and header binders. whereby the same may be drawn in rear of a tractor. A further object of myinvention is to provide'such an improved hitch especially adapted tornachines of standard con struction wherein the point of draftis sub stantially the same as that in 1 the horse pushed machine and wherein the draft connections enable the desired independent movement of the drawn machine and tractor and enable the same to make the turns readily without in any way interfering with any of the mechanism. A more specific ob: ject of my invention is to provide, an improved hitch of simple construction which may be readily attached to or removed from the machines and. whichmay bemanufac tured at smallexpense.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment which my in ventionmay assume in practice. In thesedrawingsr l Figure 1 is a plan View ofa tractor and header binder equipped with my improvement, a portion of the tractor being omitted Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2'2 of Fig.-

looking in the direction of the arrow, certain of the parts being broken to condense the illustration; 1 y L Fig. 3 is adetail transverse view substantially on line 3+3 of Fig. 2lookingin the direction of the arro y Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken online 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction ofthe arrow.

i In the form-of my invention shown a header binder of standard construction is illustrated so that the same need notbe specifically described save to say that it is mountedon an axle 1, which isinturn sup ported on atransport wheel 2and main wheel 3, the binding mechanism 4x01 the hea er and; the'lwa eehaaian 5,

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 13, 1918 justable about the axle 1, being operatively connected to the main wheel in a well known manner and driven therefrom. As lnthefstanclard header construction, a long rearwardly dlsposed pipe 6 1s also connected to insane-1, the latter being braced thereon by a (suitable laterally extending brace 7 As usual, this pipe 6 is also provided with a tillerwheel 8, disposed beneath its rear end, controllable by a tiller 9, an operators platform 10 being located above the rear end of the pipe sothat anoperator may ride there on and control the several mechanisms of the machine through the usual mechanism- (not shown) Disposed in front of the header binderis a tractor 11 which may be of anydesired form." j

Inmy improved construction a draft link 12 is pivotally connected to a bolt13 at a point beneath the platform 10 and adjacent the rear end ofthepipe 6. This link 12 extends forward and downwward to a clamping bracket 14 carried onthestubblewardlydisposed lower end of a transversely disposed, depending, supplemental frame member 15 which is attached at16 tothe pipe 6 and to a bracket 17 on the axle 1. As shown,-the depending end of this member l5lwhichcarries the bracket 14 also braced on'the axle 1 by an upward and laterally extending brace 18 attachedto the bracket 17 and thdbracket 1 1 is disposed longitudinally and on opposite sides of thede .pendin'g portion of the member 15 and clamped thereto by a bolt 19. The forward end of thelink 12 is pivotally connected to abolt 20 carried at the rear end of this longitudinally extending bracket 14;, and another link 21 is pii otally connected on a similar bolt 20 carried at the front end of thebracket, this link 21 extending forward and stubbleward toa point in front ofthe main wheel 3 andslightly at the grai'nward side thereof, whereit is pivotally connected to the rear arm of a downturned U member 22 suspended by a chain 23 and an eye bolt 241 from the front cross frame member 25 of the header platform, th'elink being held in placebyla holding plate 26 and suitable cotter pins27.v Connected to the opposite arm of this U member 22 is a third link 28, which extends forwardly and stubblewardly in the Samestraight line with the link 21, and at its front end. is suitably connected in anydesired" manner; *as," for"i1istan'ce-,- pivotally at 29, to the draw bar connections .1 -th t act a 1 v It will be noted; that in iny improvedconstruction the draft of the tractor acts upon the header pipe 6 at a point beneath th'expl'atform 10; i. 6., at the same point as the draft of'ilth'e horses normally usedin pushing the machine. It will further be noted that through my improved connections thelink is, disposed under thegrain platform 5 andc'oiir'i'ec'ted witli'th name as to iv'ampie ole ancefall conflict between the yig'he'el, and also the link and i'ii fii ii e e the standiiigl'grain, being effectually,

vented ,b'y 'thepiiox'rision ofthe swinging cenfiecaon 23. Obviously, also, ail-611511 the a mftican 'eeaen for nae-nine 21; and 28., no

strain islfplaced 'n 'en thef'roiit of the frame,

2 o the ahead-an being transmitted a the lei-apan of the'tongue, push pole oi' steering adjacenttherearehdiof the link 21, theliiikextending rearwardly, and grainwardiy ,tive

as' a bo've ineiit'ion ed, Other similar draftreasonable limits. Tothis end,- for the sake off illustration a suitable draft link 35:18 pmvid'fd, one end of which is-suitably secured in aijsaaig'nt line withlinks 2 1 and-28." By

means of this straight 1ine d ae c0nneetiou as aboyesetforth, all side-draft iseliininated.

In theeperatioh of the device it will also b'elloted that there is great flexibility which enables ntimate to pass over uneven ground, the headenthenbeing free; to-rise fall, independently thereof, and that when it is desired to-rnake a turn, draft is eferte'd, on the header at a point greenfacilitating the movement ofthe same relatire, to theti'aotOr, the. operator. upon the V platfornrloobyiously being abl'e to aid in steering {the .machine when necessary suitablemanipiilation of-the tiller 9; It should alsobeeno te'd thatin my improved construction the liiiksflmay be readily attfa'ched to. or removed from a standard l tuned.-

head-er, the only additional" parts; required vthe Jbame w, '1 18, etc, andv the chain connection 2 3,, Itis, ofcourse, obvious that instead of links of the length shown herein, the; same may be madeof any, desired length and connected together. although ,I find that w th f the parts; as shown, the samemay be formed," into a very compact shippingpaekage;. and-, very readily" and cheaply manufacjVVhile have 1 in this vapplicationi specifically described one embodiment which my invention nayassume in practice, it is, of course, to be understood that the constructioii may be modified and assume-other forms without departing from its spirit, it being-any intention to include all such constructions Within the scope o'f'the appended claims.

I'Vhnt I claim as new is:

1. In combination, a header having a platform and 'a: rearwardly disposed steering ele' ment including a Wheeled support for the rear end thereof, "and means connected to said steering eleinent and disposed beneathv said platform whereby the header may be drawn forward 1n th'e field.

2,111 combination, aheadei' hav ng a platform and a iearwardly-disposed steering 01a nient including a wheeled siippoit for the rear end tuereol; and a draft connection extending longitudinally of said element and beneath said platform whereby,- said header may be. drawn forward in the field.

Iii combination, a header having a rearwardly dispos'ed steeringeleinent anda grain platform, a draft connectionextendin long'itud'inally of said elementand beneath said platform whereby said header may be drawn forwardfin the field and means for limiting thelvinoyement of Saharan connection.

. 4; Incoinbination, a header having a rearwaijdly disposed ,steeriiig elenient'and a grain platform, a. draft connection extending longitiidinally ofsaid element and diagonally beneath fs'aid platform. whereby said header may 'be.drawn forward-in the field, and a dependingswinging connection between the front-end ofsaid draft connection and said grain platform. 7

5. In.combination,'a-header having a rearwardlydisposedsteering-element and a grain platform, a draft connectionextending longitudinally ofi said element, and diagonally beneath said platform. whereby saidheader may be drawn forward in the field, and a-depending swinging flexible connection between the draftuconnectionand said grain platform,

v '6. In combination, an *axle, a main Wheel thereon, a steering element disposed rearw ardly therefromm grain-platformconnect edto said'axle,.a draft connection connected adjacent one end of's'a-id element extending longitudinally thereof and diagonally beneath sa-id platformgand means for supporting said connection and-preventing swingmg" of the; same, into engagement with said wheeler thestanding' grain.

7. In combination, a header axle, wheelsthereon,-a grainplatform connected'to said axle.and:disposed*in'frontof said wheels, a steering felernent extending rearwardly I from saidfaxla a wheeled support-for the rear end of said eleInent,"-ai1d a draft' connection disposed longitudinally of saidelement and" beneath-"said platform:-

--;;8-. In combination; a' header aide, awgrain' platform connected to said axle, a rear- Wardly disposed steering element connected to said axle, a manually controlled tiller Wheel beneath the rear end of said element, and draft connections operatively connected at one end to said element at a point adjacent said tiller wheel disposed longitudinally of said element and diagonally beneath said platform.

9. In combination, a header axle, a grain platform connected thereto, a rearvvardly disposed steering element connected to said axle, a manually controlled tiller wheel beneath the rear end of said element, a link connection including a plurality of links operatively connected to the rear end of said steering element and disposed longitudinally of said element and beneath said platform, and means mounted beneath said platform for limiting the movement of the front end of said link connection relative thereto.

10. In combination, a header axle, a grain platform. connected thereto, a rearwardly disposed steering element connected to said ed to said element and disposed longitudinally thereof and diagonally stubbleward beneath said platform, and a swinging connection for, limiting the movement of the front end of-said draft connection.

11. In combination, a header frame, a header axle member, a main Wheel thereon, a rearwardly disposed steering element connected to said axle member, a frame member disposed transversely relative to said element and connected to said axle, said frame member having a depending portion, a draft connection operatively connected to said steering element and disposed longitudinally thereof having one end operatively connected to the depending portion of said frame member, a cooperating draft member movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK A. RYTHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

